Threatening a “Marilyn Monroe” moment, but delivering much more, Lady Gaga rocked the Hollywood Bowl Saturday night as part of the 10th anniversary celebration of former President Bill Clinton’s foundation.

The sixth act to take the stage, Gaga started with a sparse, stripped-down version of “Born This Way.” Dressed in a beige cutout “jumpsuit” with a huge hat made of a stiff, thick mesh, Gaga’s tree house-like perch offered her a bird’s eye view of an audience that was ready for a sing-a-long.

Gaga didn’t disappoint, turning the ballad-like beginning into a full dance number guaranteed to thrill all her little monsters in addition to Hollywood’s well-heeled who had turned out for a night of philanthropy, politics and fun.

After working up a sweat, and panting heavily, Gaga then shifted a heavy lock of blond hair out of her face, paused for dramatic effect and tossed out the possibility of having “a Marilyn Monroe moment."

Given that President Clinton was belatedly celebrating his 65th birthday during the same weekend, many people were waiting for a breathy rendition of Happy Birthday Mr. President, but Gaga had weaved a few birthday wishes into “Born This Way.” She followed it with “The Edge of Glory,” another heavy dance number.

Her next presidential homage came in the form of a “Bad Romance." During the song, Gaga strutted out on the catwalk-like stage that separated the really expensive seats from the marginally expensive Bowl seats.

“I want your love and I want your revenge, you and me could write a bad romance,” Gaga crooned to President Clinton, who was ringed on one side by his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the other by daughter Chelsea. It was a fabulously brilliant and simultaneously awkward moment, Gaga and the President. They all laughed. She responded, “I love you and your hot wife.”

But Lady Gaga wasn’t finished with the former president yet. She climbed back into her tree house, sat down at her piano and insinuated she might get naked for the next number. Gaga instead opted for a short, parchment gray jacket with full length sleeves and nipples clearly printed on the chest. Who needs nudity with clothes that deliver the same impression?

From her tree house, Gaga flipped the President a bird saying, "If someone had told me so many years ago that I'd be doing that right in front of you I just would not believe. I would have given a good American 'f-– you.'"

She’d rewritten some of the lyrics to “You and I” to pay an effusive tribute to the former first family.

"It's been 12 years since you came around. It's been a long time but you're back in town. This time I'm not leaving without you. So Hillary and Bill, sit back down where you belong in the oval office with those high heels on, sit back down on the couch where we watched you charm the whole world and the country," she crooned.

"Somewhere, something about this place, somewhere about American eyes when a Clinton makes us all feel safe. Somewhere something about a cool, Arkansas guy, yes, something about - Hilary, Billary, that's your new celebrity name - to the Clintons, you and I."

A bad romance, fake nipples, an f-bomb and a little squirming in the seats - all in a night’s work for a provocateur.

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Ruthann Rowbottom

Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, activist, businesswoman, fashion designer and actress. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to focus on her musical career. She soon began performing in the rock music scene of Manhattan's Lower East Side. By the end of 2007, record executive and producer Vincent Herbert signed her to his label Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. Initially working as a songwriter at Interscope Records, her vocal abilities captured the attention of recording artist Akon, who also signed her to Kon Live Distribution, his own label under Interscope.'":.

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Amazes me. Gaga flipping the bird and dropping the f-bomb at the Clinton gala in front of a bunch of well-to-do rich folk will still probably not mean anything. People will continue to think she's the best thing since sliced bread. But put someone like Eminem or someone of that genre up there doing the same thing and all hell would break loose. Just sayin'.

You obviously did not see her performance!!! If you did, you would have seen a well rounded performance and endless talent and happy, happy people in the audience. You probably do not know how to sing, dance, play the piano, write lyrics, or have the balls to entertain 10,000 people, millions around the world, and an Ex President of USA. If you ever prepared for anything like what she did, your comment would have reflected insight, instead of whatever it is you do and stand for. Watch the whole thing and tell me she has nothing to offer. Then I will know you have nothing either.

Never ceases to amaze what trash you can find on this web site! You can sugar coat what was said and the way she acted, but at the end of the day I hope that most well folks are laughing at her and not with her. LG is just one of many on a long list of marginal talent that gets the spotlight because of their bizarre behavior. More power to her for taking money for the garbage shew spews and calls music.

Wow, the tranny who can do anything and people actually praise him for it. Anyone else who would do that would have articles blasting him/her for it, yet Gaga is able to do whatever he wants. And he's not even that talented, just has a good voice.

I listened to an album of hers for the first time in it's entirety. I've heard her hits before so was not unaware of her music. I honestly think she is an OK musician, but hardly grounbreaking. I found it to be really retro of 80's music even down to the saxophone solos. I'm sure she is a good performer, I just find her music not matching of her image.

Couldn't agree with Darwin more. There is definately a time and a place for everything. Gaga is a one trick pony. If she can't shock people they might take the time to realize her talent is mediocre. When will there be someone who is talented and not obscene?

I agree, what she did at the performance was over the top- but so is she! Why was she asked to perform if this would be inappropriate? Did someone think she would tone it down for one night only? Get over it.

Lady Gaga is just following in the footsteps of others like her before using shock value to pump up her status. She is no role model and probably doesn't want to be one and she is no lady for sure just another person that says she came from a hard life and made it out of the dumps and continues to make sure everybody knows she loves gay people, continuously stating that at her concerts Iam told. Anyhow I don't know why she was even at the Clintons party they could have had a more seasoned more respectable person singing there. I don't start trying to say that the Clintons are messed up for what happened in the past so therefore you can't say anything bad about Gaga. I don't think she is trash and I do like a couple of songs but I definitely think she needs to grow up quite a bit and stop acting like something she is not.

The Muslim nations don't hate us because of our "foreign policy", they hate us because we embrace, spew out, and take pride in a Lady Gaga culture of F-words and grind-my-crotch-in-your-face entertainment. And read the comments on here– we love Lady Gaga all the more! I don't know when the end is coming, but I do know HOW it ends. Just listen to "The Man Comes Around" by Johnny Cash.

The Muslim nations hate us because we have pitted our "Christian" beliefs against their Islamic ones for centuries. I doubt that Lady Gaga has anything to do with it. Quit projecting your ignorant beliefs onto cultural ideals you dislike.

Don't care much for her music but you gotta admire someone who's made millions out of gimmicks and bawdyness. She knows how to market herself that's for sure. More power to her. A lot of people putting her down but they don't have her millions. Can you say "sour grapes"?

Class shows. This so-called hip singer is nothing but trash. Her name should have been Lady Ga-Gag......and you call what she does singing??? She may soon find herself on the receiving end one of these days by someone doing the same thing to her at one of her so-called concerts.

You are so right. She is very trashy. She is a role model alright but a negative one. Showing young kids that it's cool to be disrepectful to other, especially someone who was once President. She's the real bully here. She's teaching kids how to be a different kind of bully. She is a hypocrite.

You obviously did not see her performance!!! If you did, you would have seen a well rounded performance and endless talent and happy, happy people in the audience. You probably do not know how to sing, dance, play the piano, write lyrics, or have the balls to entertain 10,000 people, millions around the world, and an Ex President of USA. If you ever prepared for anything like what she did, your comment would have reflected insight, instead of whatever it is you do and stand for. Watch the whole thing and tell me she has nothing to offer. Then I will know you have nothing either.

There's a time and place for things and a time and place not to do things. This is a birthday to a former president, not the MTV hip hop awards. Every day I see the street jargon working its way more and more into situations and events that should have some propriety and class. This is what the movie Idiocracy was all about. And every day that passes, it's looking more and more like a prophecy that this country is rapidly fulfilling.

I was feeling a bit ill this weekend and flipping channels. A small boy perhaps 12 or so was on a panel forum about bullying. He talked about how upwards of 40(?) some kids during the day would pick on him. He was a small kid. I imagine that's part of it. Anyway, he spoke of how her music helped him cope. I mean look, I'm not much interested in this woman's music but such is the power that it has. If her music can be a coping mechanism for one boy's struggle against bullying, more power to her then.

Yeah, that makes sense. I guess this kids parents are spineless jellyfish like he is and if Gaga is an inspiration then the issues run long and deep. In other words the kid in question is a mental midget and probably is gay.

Guestcolon, Ted is right. Spine less boy, spine less parents and spine less you all deserve each other. Its a hard cruel world out there but lilly butts like you will make it all better. Grow a pair or get lost.

Well said GuestColin, I saw that too and had a similar reaction to it. Ignore those other idiots, just more bullies trying to do the blowfish thing. Neither of them would have the balls to say any of that to my (or your) face.

Notice how her preformance was the most talked about out of the whole show? She is obviously doing something right. You all hide behind computer screens hating on a girl who shut down the computer and turned up the speakers and made her dreams come true. She can sing, She can dance, She can write music, She can perform her material, She speaks for what is right, She loves others and most of all She cares about her fans not money or fame. Name another celebrity like her? I bet your having a hard time. Keep on hating your only making her stronger. Thank you lady gaga for a wonderful perfomance, keep them coming! <3littlemonster

Stop drinking the Kool-Aid. Lady Gaga makes electro-disco music and nothing more. Disco wasn't considered a legitimate, respected form of music in the 1970s and it still isn't. Kids don't walk into musical instrument stores, saying, "Gee, Mister, I need a guitar or bass so I can hammer out the latest Gaga riff." So, don't make Gaga out as if she is some big musical inspiration. She inspires people to "boogie down" on a dance floor - nothing special.

I have seen monkeys dance, and birds sing. I wasn't impressed by them either. She speaks for what is right? According to whom? Some of us actually can not stand the things she has to say. Her music is so-so to crappy. Born This Way was a crock. Transgenders are born that way? Seriously? Just think about that a minute ... Got it? OK. That Judas song is absolutely ridiculous. She just strings words together without merit or deeper meaning. This isn't about gays, because I think Elton John wrote some beautiful songs. But you are right, hate is making the monster stronger. So I will try just ignoring it. It worked on New Kids on the Block ...

It's PERformance. Learn to spell, then you won't appear to be as idiotic as you are. You'll fool them like Gaga does. Also, use the contraction "you're" when you are intending to say "you are". Using "your" in it's place conveys your ignorance of simple English. Have a nice day.

Who in there right mind thought this was appropriate as a "tribute" to a former president of the United States? OK, No one in their right mind did, so what idiot thought this was an appropriate tribute to a former president? Besides Lady Gag me and whoever on the Clintons staff cleared her to perform. Popular and rich does not equal possession of good taste.

I wish my kids would emmulate her. That ways they could give me lots of money so I could stay home and eat candy and watch game shows all day. That would be gnarly. Plus sometimes I could eat cheeseburgers and lots and lots of french fries. BTW them french people must be awesome thinking up somethinmg wonderful like french fries. mmmmmm. They are even good for breakfast.

I thought she was brilliant! If you happened to watch her whole effort. She showed sooo much talent!!! She customized her performance for the evening. I definitely respect her for her super hard work, amazing energy, great voice and heart. Those are Great qualities to share with your children; although this was not a performance for super young fans.
By the way the whole of the crowd reacted. It was a wonderful, talent filled performance to be appreciated. I don't know too many people who can pull all that off live.

What make your kids so important? I cant stand Gaga but sheltering kids from everything accomplishes nothing except screwing up your kids later in life. I hate to tell you this, but your kids know they have genitials and they know what they're used for. They also know that other people have them. They also know all the words. As a parent its up to you to teach them to use their intellect about those things, not ban it from their lives.